Heroes: Entropy
by The Ascended Ancient
Summary: AU post-Season 1. While Sylar recovers from his wounds and grows stronger, a new threat emerges, a villain as brilliant as he is mad, as evil as he is powerful. With danger closing in from all sides, the heroes not be able to hold off the coming storm.
1. Diaspora

_**Heroes: Entropy  
**_**Written By: The Ascended Ancient**

**Author's Note: First of all, I'm not making any money from this fic, nor do I own any part of Heroes. Secondly, I am of the opinion that Volume 1 of the show was incredible, but Volumes 2 and 3 have been fairly underwhelming. So I'm writing this fic as sort of a rewrite of what has happened since the end of Season 1. It starts off with a flashback, as well as a look at where some of the characters went immediately following Kirby Plaza. At first, it may seem like I am reusing a great deal of plotlines from the show, and that's because I am. A lot of what I consider to have worked for the show will stay. However, as things go on, I'm going to be taking things in a completely different direction, one that I hope you all enjoy.**

**Lastly, I should point out that the italicized text that is in between each segment of this chapter is the traditional Mohinder narration that begins each season.**

**Chapter I  
"Diaspora"**

_Saving the world…_

In New York, the fate of the world had come down to Kirby Plaza. Peter Petrelli faced off against Sylar, a nemesis so powerful and so evil that not even this pure knight of good might be able to stop him. Off to the side, others watched: Noah Bennett, his arm broken, his back hurt, unable to rise to Peter's aid; Mohinder Surresh, the genetics professor, who tended to the wounded, Matt Parkman and DL Hawkins; and Nikki Sanders, the woman whose troubled psyche was only so recently healed, and who watched over her son, Micah, and the girl Molly Walker. They all watched as Peter took the fight to Sylar, resorting to brute force to beat his enemy to the ground again and again.

Then it happened. Peter's body began to glow, his control over the power he acquired from Ted Sprague slowly slipping away. Sylar laughed at the irony; it seemed now that it would be Peter, and not him, who destroyed New York. He didn't have long to enjoy this moment, however, as suddenly Hiro Nakamura teleported in, sword in hand, and plunged his blade into the villain.

But Sylar wasn't done. Using one last burst of strength, he flung Hiro across the plaza. The Japanese man teleported away before he can slam into a nearby building, but the damage was already done. Peter was left alone, without any recourse as he slowly built up towards a nuclear explosion.

"Claire!" Peter cried out desperately as he spotted her running towards him. "You need to do it! You need to kill me!" Picking up the gun her father had left lying on the ground, Claire Bennett approached Peter with tears in her eyes.

"There's got to be a better way," she sobbed as she pointed the gun at Peter's head.

"Yes there is, Claire," Nathan Petrelli declared as he descended from the sky and approached his brother. "The future isn't written in stone."

"I took his power, Nathan," Peter told his brother. "I can't control it. I can't do anything."

"I'm not leaving you Peter," Nathan declared as he stepped closer. "There's another way to end this and you know it."

"I can't let you die," Peter protested.

"And I can't let everyone else," Nathan replied, giving a still-sobbing Claire a meaningful look. "You saved the cheerleader, so we could save the world."

"I love you, Nathan."

"I love you too."

With those words, Nathan grabs his brother and the two of them soar off into the sky.

_What does that even mean?..._

Nathan and Peter's flight took them as far away from New York as quickly as they could possibly get there. Its velocity was incredible, and it took all the strength of both brothers to hang on the whole way.

"Let go, Nathan!" Peter shouted over the rush of the wind. "Nathan, we're far enough, let me go!" Nathan doesn't listen, and they keep climbing higher and higher. "Natha…!"

An explosion, as bright as the sun, lights up the sky above New York. In Kirby Plaza, the other heroes look up at it, both in relief and in sadness. The city has been saved, at the expense of their friends.

_For most people, it's making the world a better place, one where they can raise a family in peace…_

"Careful," Nikki chided her husband as she struggled to ease him out of his hospital bed and into a wheelchair.

"Nick, I don't need your help," DL protested. "I got this."

"DL, you're still weak, and if you over-exert yourself you'll tear your stitches," Nikki explains, an exasperated tone in her voice. "Please, I just want to get out of this place and back to our house. Back to our normal life, away from Linderman and powers and... and…"

"And dual personalities?" DL finished. Nikki sighed.

"She's finally gone, DL. Jessica's gone, Linderman's not after us anymore, we can finally relax. At least, we will once we get you into this chair." DL chuckles, an act that causes him more pain than mirth.

"Ok, you win. Let's do this."

_But what if the cost of saving others can deny you that simple happiness…_

"I can't believe this!" Matt Parkman through his hands in the air in disgust as his powers told him what his wife wasn't willing to. "I mean, I really cannot believe that this happened."

"I'm so sorry Matt," Janice told him desperately. "I didn't mean for this to…"

"So you not only slept with the guy, but you didn't even use protection." Matt was shouting at her now.

"Baby, please…"

"What? Love you? I want to, I really do, but every new thing I learn about you just makes it so much harder to do that."

"Matt, please, just give me a chance to make this up to you."

"How are you going to make this up to me, Janice?" Matt demanded. "You're my wife and you're carrying another man's baby, _how the hell are you going to make that up to me Janice?_"

_What if doing the right thing could force you to leave that which you love most?..._

"All right, the car's all loaded up, and your mother and brother are already out there," Noah Bennett announced as he stepped back into the hotel room that his family had been using since their house burnt down. "It's time to go, Claire."

Claire just stared out the window, at her hometown of Odessa, Texas. "So it's time to go?" she asked tentatively.

"It is, Claire-bear," Noah told her quietly.

"To Costa-Verde," Claire said. "Away from everyone and everything I've known."

"I told you already, we need to move. The Company will recover from Linderman's death, and when they do they will come after us. We need to be out of here before they do." Noah put his arms around his daughter. "I'm sorry, Claire-bear. But we have no choice." Regret written all over her face, Claire nodded in agreement and walked out the door with her father.

_And what if your efforts to save the world risk making things even worse?..._

As incredible as it was, there was no mistaking where he was. Hiro Nakamura had somehow inadvertently traveled to the year 1671, and at the moment he was actually staring right at Takezo Kensei, the man he'd idolized since he was a small boy. Unable to help himself, he shouted out the swordsman's name. Kensei turns to see who had called out to him, and as he does an arrow pierces his chest. Hiro shifts his attention to a nearby hillside, where a phalanx of archers was unleashing a hail of arrows upon the samurai. Quickly, before Kensei can be hurt even more, Hiro rushed to his hero's side, grabbed a hold of him, and teleported the both of them away.

_Or if evil is so strong, so enduring that it can never truly be eradicated…_

Sylar crawled through the sewers of New York city, bleeding profusely as he did. His strength was fading quickly, but he wasn't about to give up.

"Awe," a voice called out. "You don't look so good." Sylar turns to see a short, blonde haired woman walking towards him. "Didn't your mommy ever tell you not to play with sharp objects?"

"Who are you?" Sylar croaked out.

"Name's Elle," she replied, running her fingers down his chest until she touched his wound. Suddenly an electric jolt slammed into him, exacerbating his already inflamed nerve endings and making him scream. "Mmm, you're gonna be a fun new toy."

"Leave him alone, Elle," a male voice called out. Sylar turned to see a portly bald man step forward. "Keep this up, and he won't live long enough for you to play with."

"All right, Daddy," Elle said, her voice filled with disappointment. "If you insist."

The man stepped closer. "Don't worry, Mister Sylar, we're going to patch you right up. We have big plans for you."

_Maybe the fight to save the world never actually ends. Maybe it is an endless struggle, whose costs will continue to be felt for an eternity…_

Peter Petrelli stumbled along the beach, his clothes torn to shreds, his body covered in grime. In his mind's eye, he couldn't stop seeing his brother's face in that final moment, the look of grim determination that appeared an instant before everything about him was wiped out of existence. As he walked, his body flickered and glowed, the energy that had triggered one nuclear explosion still threatening to escape yet again. Peter struggled to control it, to keep his brother's death from being in vain, but he knew that it was only just a matter of time before it happened again, before he lost control and everyone paid the price for it.

"Hello, Peter," a British voice called out from behind him. Peter spun around just in time for Claude's fist to slam into his face, knocking him out cold. "You're just a load of trouble, aren't you?"

_Most likely we can never truly 'save the world.' We can only buy ourselves more time._

**End of Chapter I**

**A/N: Well, what did you all think? More will come, but please REVIEW!!!**


	2. Corrections

**Chapter II  
"Corrections"**

Kaito Nakamura and Ando Masahashi

Yamagato Industries Headquarters. Present Day

Two Months After Kirby Plaza

"Come in," the deep, commanding voice of Kaito Nakamura announced. Steeling himself, Ando pushed the door open and stepped into the CEO's office. The large space, with its antique furniture and floor to ceiling windows on the far wall, was the seat of one of Japan's most powerful men, and a man who had always intimidated Ando as much as he had his own son. He'd heard that Kaito and Hiro had developed a bond shortly before the latter's disappearance, but that was their right as father and son. None of that extended to Ando, which was why he was so puzzled as to have been summoned into Kaito's office.

"Ah, Ando, please, have a seat," Mr. Nakamura instructed.

"Of course, sir," Ando responded respectfully as he settled into one of the office's armchairs. "May I ask what brings me here, sir?"

"You accompanied Hiro on his journey to America. You were with him every step of the way as my son grew into a hero greater than I could've ever hoped for him to be."

"But I was not there with him in the end," Ando interrupted. The flash of frustration in the eyes of a man who did not often have to suffer through such displays of insubordination frightened him, but there was nothing to be lost at this point by finishing what he was trying to say. "I don't know where he has been since he teleported back to New York to fulfill his destiny."

"Nevertheless, you are his closest friend. His confidant. And if I am not to be around for Hiro's return, then you must continue to be there for him."

"Sir?" Ando's confusion was etched across his face.

"I am going to give you this." Kaito pulled an envelope out of his desk and passed it over to Ando. "Place it somewhere safe, and guard it with your life. My son will return, but if I do not live long enough to see it, you must make sure that this envelope reaches him. Now, please, return to your desk." Ando's eyes all but popped out of his head at that statement.

"Sir, Mr. Nakamura, why do you think you will not live to see Hiro's return?"

"That will be all, Ando," Kaito replied curtly.

"With all do respect, sir, it isn't. If Hiro were here he wouldn't accept that, and I wouldn't be respecting him as much as you seem to believe I do if I didn't as well." Kaito glared at Ando for a moment before letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Ando Masahashi, you have just become a part of this world, and have not truly experienced it yet. Eventually, you will learn, as I did, that it is a dangerous one. There are threats all around, not just from your enemies, but from those you call friends as well." Kaito stood up and walked towards the windows. "I was born with an ability. I could calculate probabilities in my head. I could see something beginning to occur and determine its most likely outcome almost instantly. It is with this power that I have managed to raise Yamagato Industries up to the prestigious level it is at today. However, it also made me seek out others, men and women with power. At first, I worked with them to do as much good as we could, but in time I learned that just because were gifted with great power, we were not all worthy to wield that power. Some of us were just too dangerous. And one of us reached such levels of evil that he was just far too dangerous. And so our last act, all of us together, was to make sure that he was dealt with, that he was locked away in such a manner that he could never harm anyone again." Kaito turned back around, and the grave look on his face scared Ando. "The measures we put into place have now failed. That man is loose, and the whole world is now in danger."

"Who is this man? Why is he so dangerous?"

"Those questions, Ando, are best left unanswered. The less you know, the less reason he'll have to hunt you once he is done with me."

"He's coming after you, sir?"

"I told you, Ando, I am a master of probability. This man has been loose for two months. In that time, I have been monitoring his movements as best I can. And I can tell you, Ando, that at this point the odds that he is not on his way to kill me right this very moment are practically non-existent. That he has waited this long is miracle enough."

"That's no reason to just let yourself die," Ando cried. "This building has some of the best security…"

"Which won't even slow him down," Kaito cut him off. "He is too powerful. Now, Ando, please, leave now and stay as far away from me as possible from now on. I am trusting you to survive long enough to deliver that information to Hiro. He may be our best hope at stopping this monster." Ando opened his mouth to protest some more, but Kaito raised his hand. "Ando, you show me today that you have a greater heart than most men, and are worthy of the trust I am placing in you. But the truth simply is that neither of us is strong enough to defeat this foe. If you wish to do good, then please, leave here at once and make yourself ready for my son's return."

Reluctantly, Ando got up from his seat and walked towards the door. Before he left, however, he turned back and asked one final question, "Sir, how are you so sure that Hiro is coming back?" Kaito smiled.

"As I told you, Ando, I know a bit more about what's going on in this world than you do. Hiro is in a… difficult situation. But he will prevail, and he will return to us. I am certain of it."

Hiro Nakamura

Otsu, Japan. 1671

The armor was a bit too tight, but Hiro squeezed into it nonetheless. Pulling on the mask to complete the effort, he picked up his sword and began the long walk to the city of Otsu. In ancient times, Otsu was one of Japan's mightiest cities, protected by its oldest and wisest warrior, Irmo Sumio, the mentor to Takezo Kensei. Sumio guarded the people while Kensei rode out to fight the great battles of his time against the dark warlord Myou Jin. He would also see through Hiro's disguise in a second. After all, Sumio would know that Hiro Nakamura could not possibly be Takezo Kensei.

It was one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life, when he watched his hero, Kensei, being pierced by one arrow after another in that field. He'd tried to teleport him away in time, but it was too late. The wounds were fatal, and Hiro watched as a legend died in his arms. Without Kensei, history would chance, Myou Jin would be unchecked in his quest to dominate Japan, and his home would enter into a dark age that would break Hiro's heart as much as the arrows had broken Kensei's.

And he couldn't just travel back and fix this. He'd tried, several times. The end result was a cluster of confused, screaming Hiro Nakamuras that proved just as distracting to Kensei as one of them had been, and he'd been killed anyway. That left Hiro with just one option, and that was why he now rode into town, Kensei's armor on his body and his sword strapped to his back.

"He has returned!" The cry began to ring out from the townspeople as Hiro entered the city. Murmurs grew all around him as he walked towards the gate to the inner citadel, and every man and woman he passed stopped what they were doing to stare at him in wonder.

At the citadel's gate, a guard stepped forward and clapped a firm, strong hand onto his shoulder. "I knew that it could not be true," he cried out loud enough that the entire crowd heard him. "It would take more than a few archers to kill our Takezo!" The townspeople started cheering at this, chanting "Kensei" over and over again. It all made Hiro so unbelievably uncomfortable, but he took it all with a stoic demeanor, like a great warrior would. He bowed to the crowd in salute before allowing the guard to usher him inside.

Once within the gate, Hiro felt a whole new wave of anxiety wash over him. Yes, he'd managed to make it through the city impersonating Kensei, but that had required only a few gestures and no time spent actually conversing with the citizens. Sumio, though, would be a different story entirely.

Walking up the steps as quickly as he could, he reached for the handle to the door to the citadel, but before he could grasp it, it was swung open and a hand reached out and pulled him inside.

The door shut instantly, and the room was plunged into near darkness. It was a miracle at all that Hiro spotted the blade that was sweeping towards his head. Quickly, he dropped to the floor, dodging the strike as he pulled forth his own sword. His eyes were adjusting quickly, and he saw the handful of torches around the walls of this large chamber, providing a very limited amount of illumination. It was in this dim light that he saw a lithe figure spinning towards him, a blade in hand. Hiro raised his weapon to parry the blow an instant before the attack would've gutted him. Shifting his stance the way his father had taught him, he steeled himself for a moment before lunging completely into the fray.

He'd known the moment he'd donned the armor that fulfilling Takezo Kensei's destiny would be difficult, and would require going through many duels that he had nowhere near enough training for. But he always expected that he would have time to use his powers, and that would give him an advantage. But this opponent, he moved too fast. It took all of Hiro's concentration to keep himself alive right now; he had none to spare to stop time.

And so he dueled. Block, parry, strike, staying light on his feet the whole time; his father would've been proud. Then, a loose stone in the floor, invisible in the dark room, appeared under his foot at the wrong angle, and the next thing Hiro knew he was on the floor. Stunned for a moment, he looked around, but by the time he saw his opponent it was too late.

Determined to make one last desperate attempt to stop time before he died, Hiro squeezed his eyes shut. Before he could do anything, however, a voice called out, "Enough!" The killing stroke never came, and Hiro opened his eyes to a blinding light. The windows had been unblocked, and the room was now completely illuminated.

"Who are you?" the voice demanded. Hiro wanted to look around for the source, but the blade which was now pressed against his throat prevented him from doing so. He could see his assailant, however, and he was slightly embarrassed that the man who had fought him so well, who had actually defeated him, was in fact a woman. And a beautiful one at that.

The voice repeated its question, so Hiro decided he might as well try. "I am Takezo Kensei," he declared with as much confidence as he could muster. The moment the words were out of his mouth, the blade began to press against him harder.

"Kensei was a drunken fool that couldn't possibly have fought me so well," the woman spat at him.

"Nor should he have been fighting at all," the voice declared as Hiro still struggled to wrap his mind around the first statement. "I have very good sources in Myou Jin's camp, and they seem to be under the impression that Takezo Kensei currently carries the shafts of a dozen arrows inside of him. Now, my daughter does not take kindly to lies, so please, do not tempt her wrath with another one."

Hiro stared up at the woman who was pressing cold steel against his neck. _If this is the daughter, then she must be Yaeko,_ he thought. _And that means the man speaking is…_

"My apologies for the deception, great Master Sumio," Hiro said with as much dignity as he could muster. "My name is Hiro Nakamura. I am responsible for Kensei's death. I distracted him with my presence in the midst of battle, allowing the archers a chance to slay him. Kensei is this country's only hope in the battle against Myou Jin, and I couldn't possibly permit our people to lose hope in this most desperate time."

"So you decided to take his place and fight his battles," Sumio stated, stepping into view for the first time. He was a big man, with long hair and a braided beard. "A brave act, or the act of an idiot. Yaeko." The beautiful woman standing over him removed her sword from Hiro's neck and helped him to his feat, although she did rip his mask off violently in the process. "So young," Sumio commented, "yet you fight well. Who trained you?"

"My father," Hiro responded. "Kaito Nakamura, a great warrior."

"I have never heard of this man, but he has indeed taught you well. As my daughter mentioned, Kensei was not the hero he pretended to be. He was a drunk who offended far too many of this country's warlords than is good for a man's health. I offered him a way out of a slow and painful death if he would be the warrior we needed, a symbol for the people that hope was not yet lost. I set him up in battles that I arranged through my sources, easy fights that would produce easier victories. But despite my best efforts to teach him, he remained a mediocre sword fighter at best. But you, Hiro, you have some skill already. With more training, this ruse of yours might be the salvation this country is looking for." Sumio's hand shot out and grabbed the breastplate of Hiro's armor, pulling the younger man closer. "Do you have the strength and resolve to fight forces that even some of our the greatest Samurai in all of Japan are afraid to confront? Do you have the endurance to fight with every ounce of strength you have in one battle after another? And is your resolve strong enough that you will be at our side as long as it takes to achieve victory?"

"Yes," Hiro repeated three times, once for each of Sumio's questions. The older man smiled.

"We shall see," he announced, releasing Hiro's armor. "Pick up your sword, and let's get started."

Kaito Nakamura

Yamagato Headquarters, Present Day

Kaito stared out the window at the Tokyo skyline before him, the lights of the buildings lighting up the night. He'd grown up in this great city, the descendent of Samurai, of Takezo Kensei himself, as twisted as he'd learned that decent to be years later. He'd devoted the strength of his heritage, and of the gift fate had provided to him, to help this city, to make it grow and prosper. Yamagato was now one of Japan's largest employers, and under his reign layoffs had been occurring at a rate sixty percent less than under his predecessors. It was his effort to give back to the country that had given him so much, and he liked to think that he'd done something to repay it.

And fate, it seemed, thought that as well. For years he'd been hard on a son he felt he shouldn't have gotten, a son that seemed too weak for the challenges he knew he would face in the future. But just two months ago, he finally saw that Hiro was all that he had been promised all those years ago. He would be a great warrior, strong enough to save Japan, to save the world.

A rustling behind him caught Kaito's attention. Despite having known this was coming, he still felt his heart race as fear and adrenaline raced through him.

"I was wondering when you'd finally get here," Kaito said calmly without turning around. "It's time, isn't it?" The only answer was a few soft footsteps, followed by a blinding pain that tore through his body. Moments later, Kaito Nakamura's lifeless body fell to the ground, and a man stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. He was a tall man, with a face so scarred and discolored as to barely appear human. He reached down with a hand as battered as his face and scooped up a handful of the oddly shaped chunks and let them fall through his fingers back to the floor.

"Yes, Kaito," he responded in a raspy voice. "I told you, I keep my promises."

**End of Chapter II**

**A/N: Ok, a few things. First of all, I decided to change the title. Originally I felt that calling the chapter after Genesis "Exodus" was appropriate because of the biblical references, but I couldn't really get a justification for the name into the storyline. So I decided that Entropy was a more appropriate name. If you want to know why, just look up the word in a dictionary, and you'll get an idea of where this story is headed.**

**Secondly, this chapter should give people still wondering what the hell I have in mind for this story an idea about what I'm doing. There will still be a lot of cannon story elements because I feel that Heroes in its later seasons did come up with some good ideas, but they'll all be extremely revamped because I believe that in the end the show wasted some good opportunities. Also, there will be cannon characters like Yaeko who will be introduced as this story goes on, but many of them will have their role in the story changed drastically. For example, Yaeko was not as badass as I've made her on the show. In the end, this story will take a radically different direction from the show, one that I hope will be enjoyable for all my readers.**

**Thirdly, I just want to restate that I love reviews, so please leave them! I know people are reading this story from the hit counter, but I still want to hear what you all think.**


	3. New Life

**Chapter III  
"New Life"**

**To HighQueenReicheru: Oh, how to answer your question without giving too much away. All I can say is be careful what you wish for. Even if, and I stress **_**if**_** right now, Adam Monroe does appear in this story, there is a good chance that he, like so many other cannon characters from season 2 onward that I'm including, will be highly changed from how he was on the show.**

Claire Bennett

Costa Verde, California

Claire looked at her family's new apartment and couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was small and dirty, and a long drop down from their previous accommodations. She knew that it was wrong of her to feel that way; it was the kind of reaction a spoiled brat would have. She also knew that a _real_ paper sales job paid far less than her father's previous job at Primatech. And she knew that everything that had happened so far had been done to keep her safe. Nevertheless, there was a part of her that just was not happy in this new place.

"Claire, you need to get goin' or yer gonna miss the bus," her mother called out to her in her thick, Texas accent. _The bus,_ Claire thought. The first ride to the first day of a brand new school. A place where she knew no one, and where her father's best hope for her was that she _didn't_ get to know anyone real well. It was too risky, he said, because the Company would be looking for them. Getting too close to anyone could potentially expose them to more risk than they could afford. The best thing for the family was for her to keep her head down and stay out of sight as best she could. Claire Bennett had been a popular girl, a cheerleader, the center of attention throughout her school, but Claire Butler would have to be a nobody.

So Claire got on the bus with her brother Lyle. They sat together, taking comfort in each others company in this world of strangers that they'd been told to avoid. Parting ways when they arrived left Claire alone in the midst of the social jungle of high school.

Her first few classes were a nightmare. Even though she'd been a good student in her old school, she still spent a great deal of time in class chatting with her friends. Here, though, she didn't know anyone, and the few people who reached out to her she had to brush off because of her dad's instructions. So she just listened to her teachers drone on, scribbling down notes and doodling in the margins in a desperate attempt to alleviate the boredom.

Then she stepped into Biology, and right away she was blown away. The teacher – Mr. Wakefield – had bruises all over his face, along with tape bandaging his knuckles. He was a big man with big muscles, and he looked like he'd gotten the crap beaten out of him. As shocked as Claire was, she quickly saw that she wasn't the only one; the whole class was whispering about it. As she took her customary seat in the back, she spotted a boy enter the classroom and run over to Mr. Wakefield's side. After having a clearly urgent conversation with the teacher that lasted a few minutes into the class, the newcomer left the front and went to the only remaining seat in the class: the one right next to Claire.

The class went on, with the injured teacher showing surprisingly little sign that he was being slowed down by his wounds. When the bell finally rang, Claire gathered her stuff together and headed towards the door when the boy grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey, do you got a minute?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry, I've gotta get to my next class?" Claire replied, pulling away reluctantly. _Damnit! He's cute!_ She thought as she really looked over the tall, dark haired boy standing before her for the first time.

"It's ok, I'll walk with you," the boy told her.

"No, it's ok, I'm good." Her classmate got a look of realization in his eyes. His beautiful, brown eyes that just seemed to draw her in… _Focus!_

"Oh, you think I'm hitting on you. Don't worry, it's nothing like that. Not that you're not worth hitting on," he added quickly. "You're pretty hot." Her heart skipped a beat at that comment. "But there are a few things I think I should let you know, seeing as how you're new here. You are Claire Butler, right?"

"Yeah. How do you know my name?"

"Mr. Wakefield told me who you would be in his class, and you were the only one there I didn't recognize. My name's West by the way. West Rosen."

"Hi West. Look, I don't want to be late, so we really should get to the talking while walking thing."

"Oh, of course," West said quickly, gathering up his books and following Claire out the door.

"So, you said there were some things you needed to let me know?" Claire asked.

"Yeah. I guess it all starts with me welcoming you to Costa Verde, a beautiful – if not very affluent – town on the California coast. What they didn't tell you in the brochure, however, is that we're not exactly a safe town. Three years ago we had problems with gang violence spilling over from LA, so we started a neighborhood watch group to try and make things safer. Actually, it was Mr. Wakefield who really got it off the ground. He was a real hero, working all day – and especially at night – to make sure that we were organized and not the vulnerable prey we'd been up until then, and he did all this in addition to his day job. It worked well for a while, but recently things have gotten worse. You saw him in there today. About three weeks ago someone roughed him up real bad, and we have no idea who it was. So if I were you, I'd definitely stay off of the streets after dark. Especially if you're alone. It's not safe."

"Thanks for letting me know," Claire replied, her mind racing. What kind of place had her family moved to? She might've been invincible, but she found herself terrified of the thought that something might happen to her family. "Really, I mean that. But here's my class, I've got to go."

"Of course. Just take this." West handed her a card. "It has all our phone numbers on it. Mr. Wakefield's, the Chief of Police's, mine…"

"Wait, why's your number on here?" Claire interrupted.

"I'm the head of the youth wing of the Watch," West explained. "We're all trying to pitch in to make a difference around here, to make our community safer."

"I see. Well, thank you very much."

And with that, Claire left West and the most interesting few minutes of her day behind her and endured another wave of excruciatingly boring classes until school finally let out. Meeting up with Lyle out in front, she got on the bus and rode home. When she got back, she went up to her room and pulled West's card out of her pocket and stared at it. _We're all trying to pitch in,_ the words echoed in her mind. _To make a difference._

A few hours later, there was a knock on her door, and Claire looked up from her computer to see that her father was standing in the doorway. "Hey Claire-Bear," he greeted. "How was your first day of school?"

"Seeing as how I didn't have to wear _that_," Noah Bennett was dressed in the most ridiculous baby blue smock with the logo of his new workplace on it, "actually, I don't think it was that bad anymore." Noah chuckled.

"Yeah, not quite the life we'd hoped for, huh?"

As her dad was turning to leave, Claire called out to him, "Dad, can we talk for a moment?"

"Of course Claire," Noah responded, re-entering the room and sitting down on her bed. "What's up?" Claire reached into her pocket and handed him the card.

"This boy at school gave me the down low on this new home of ours. Apparently it's not the safest place in the world." Noah sighed.

"Well, Costa Verde is practically a part of the slums of Los Angeles, so I guess this shouldn't be too surprising. Claire-Bear, you know the only thing I want is to protect this family, but we just can't afford…"

"I know, dad," Claire interrupted. "I understand that we had to give up everything to keep the Company from finding us, and I know this is the best place we could get. What I'm trying to say is that the people on that card are just normal people working to make a difference in this community. And, I mean, we're not normal people. With your background and my powers we could do some real good here." Noah Bennett was silent for a moment.

"Claire, you have a good heart. But if we start getting involved in stuff like this then we'll be running a higher profile than it's safe to."

"But dad, things are bad out there. We can't just do nothing."

"I'm sorry, Claire. I know you want to help protect our new home, but my priority is protecting our _family_."

"But dad…"

"No, Claire. Please, just keep out of this for now. We won't have to be in hiding forever. Things are already changing; my sources tell me that the Company isn't as strong as it used to be. One day, we'll be able to stop looking over our shoulders so much. But that day isn't today. Please, promise me you won't join this neighborhood watch group."

Claire took a few moments before she finally nodded her head. Noah got up and kissed his daughter on the forehead.

"Your mother says dinner should be ready in an hour," he told her before leaving the room.

As Noah closed the door to his daughter's room, he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. There was something about the way Claire had agreed to him that he couldn't let go of. That look of quiet determination in her eyes; she didn't want to just ignore this opportunity to do something good with her powers. Even if you just ignored their need to lay low, Noah still didn't feel comfortable with letting her do that. Peter Petrelli had been just as noble and just as invincible as Claire was and that didn't stop him from blowing up into a million pieces. He didn't want Claire to suffer a similar fate.

The ringing of the doorbell broke him out of his reverie. "I'll get it," he shouted, walking over to the front door. He looked through the peephole and immediately pressed his hand against his jacket to make sure that his gun was in its concealed holster.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded the moment he opened the door. "We agreed that if you were exposed you were to meet me in Topeka. If they know you're my mole, they'll use you to…

"I am sorry," the Haitian interrupted. "But as I told you before, I answer to a higher authority."

"Who…" He trailed off as a dark haired elderly woman stepped forward.

"Hello, Noah," she said. "I don't believe we've been formally introduced. My name is Angela Petrelli. I'm Claire's grandmother. And don't worry," she added quickly, "I'm not here to take her from you. I just think we should have a little talk."

"About what?" Noah kept looking around in all directions. If this was a trap, it was a good one, because he couldn't see any sign of danger.

"About the Company that you used to work for. The Company that I helped found. And the Company that is now on the verge of collapsing." _On the verge of collapsing_. Clearly the Haitian hadn't sent him every detail about what was going on over there.

"All right," Noah said. "We'll talk. But just you and me. He," Bennett pointed to the Haitian, "stays out here." The Haitian had led this woman here; Noah didn't feel so much trust in him anymore.

"Fair enough," Angela replied before following Bennett into his home. After telling his wife that he needed to have a private conversation, he led her into the den. Thankfully, Sandra hadn't pressed for details. He'd promised not to lie to her anymore, and he would've hated having to put that oath to the test.

"Now, what do you mean the Company's on the verge of collapse," Noah demanded the moment they had privacy.

"Robert Bishop," Angela told him. "Another founder, like Linderman and myself, was next in line to take over after Linderman's death. It was not the arrangement most of us would've preferred, but in order to get his rather extensive bureaucratic and management skills on our side, we needed to appeal to his rather power-hungry nature. He is not the man to lead Primatech through this time of crisis, and under his reign I cannot see the Company surviving."

"So what do you want from me?" Bennett demanded.

"Do you read the paper, Noah?" Angela asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mrs. Petrelli pulled a newspaper out of her pocket.

"It was on the front page today. 'Japanese CEO's Mysterious Death.' That man was Kaito Nakamura, another one of my colleagues. When Bob took over the Company, he pulled out of it. Now he's dead.

"You're saying that Bishop had him killed?"

"Oh, no. Kaito was killed by someone else, someone far more dangerous. You hunted down a lot of dangerous individuals during your time with the Company, but you can consider yourself lucky that you never had to deal with him. That was our job, those of us who came before. It took everything we had, but we finally managed to lock him up deep in the lower levels of the Primatech facility and throw away the key. Then you engineered your little escape with Mr. Sprague's electromagnetic pulse and destroyed all of our power systems. Primaries and backups. Now he's at large, and is tearing apart our infrastructure slowly but surely. Kaito is not the only founder who has been murdered in the past several months, and he won't be the last. The Company was the force that stopped him in the past, so he's determined to rip it to pieces so it can't stand in his way."

"Well don't expect me to shed any tears over that," Noah responded dryly.

"No, I wouldn't expect you to, Mr. Bennett. But I would expect you to care that this man believes that people like your daughter and I, people with abilities, are far superior to normal humans, and therefore should rule over them. With him as the supreme ruler, of course. He's made three bids to take over the world in the past, all of them failures… barely. We locked him away to stop him from getting the fourth chance at it that he's getting right now."

"I still don't see what all of this has to do with me."

"Because the Company is in the process of being neutered, and if it is there needs to be someone else standing in our enemy's way, and I intend to be that someone, with your help."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Return to some of your old duties. There are a number of dangerous individuals out there that are undoubtedly being organized against us now. They will be the core of his army if they are not hunted down and stopped now, while we still can. I know your main priority is your family, Noah," she added before he could respond, "but I can guarantee you that should you accept this offer your family will be able to return to their normal life."

"What are you talking about?" Noah demanded.

"I may not be in charge, but I can get Bob to call off the search for you and your family. You won't have to cower, looking over your shoulders every day, keeping yourselves cut off from the rest of the world. Do this for me, and your family will be truly safe."

After a pause, Noah said, "You screw me on this and I will kill you."

"I take it your accepting my offer, then?"

"Yeah. I'll need a full dossier on this guy and his associates as soon as possible."

"I brought it with me. Your file said you'd want to get right to work. I'm glad it was correct."

**End of Chapter III**

**A/N: Ok, quick note. Despite how it might appear, I'm not 100% dead-set on bringing the West-Claire romance into this story. It could be a useful storyline, so I'm setting up to use it if I feel that it fits into the plot well. As for whether or not I'll give West the powers he had in the show… wait and see for that.**

**Remember to review!!!!**


	4. Recovery

**Chapter IV  
"Recovery"**

**A/N: Decided to change the name of Hiro's mentor in the past, Irmo Syoto, to Irmo Sumio, for various reasons. Everything I write is always in a state of flux until it is completed.**

Peter Petrelli and Claude Rains

Location Unknown

"Thought you could bloody loose me, huh?" a familiar voice asked. Utterly surprised, Peter Petrelli looked over to find Claude Rains walking towards him.

"What are you doing here?" Peter demanded, taking a deep breath to try and remain calm.

"Looking for you, of course," Claude responded. "Although if that's the greeting I get I'm starting to regret all the hard work I put into following you to this godforsaken island." As if to emphasize his point, he waved his arms around as the bleak, rocky scenery.

"We've been over this already, Claude," Peter said as he turned and walked away from the other man. "Being around me isn't safe."

"Oh, right, because you're the biggest bomb this world has ever seen, right? Tell me, Peter, how many times have you exploded? Since that first time, I mean."

"Just because it hasn't happened again doesn't mean it won't," Peter snapped. "I am barely in control. Even right now, it is taking every ounce of strength I have not to turn this place into a smoking crater. That's why I flew out here, to the middle of nowhere, a place that I couldn't do any more damage. Where I couldn't be responsible for anyone else's death because I'm…" He trailed off and was silent for a moment as he sat down on a rock at the edge of the cliff. "Please, Claude," Peter pleaded. "Please, just go back."

Claude walked in front of Peter and looked him square in the eye. "Sorry, friend, that is just not going to happen."

"Why?" Peter asked. "You hate people. Why would you…?"

"Because maybe I've changed my mind," Claude said quickly, cutting Peter off. "Maybe I've decided that I do need some company after all, and I guess that company's you, lad."

"No," Peter said quietly, staring up at the older man, his head buzzing as he began to hear the truth. "That's not…" Whatever Peter was about to say never came out, as all of a sudden his body began to glow with energy. "No! No, no, no, no!"

"Serves you right." Claude chuckled. "Blokes who don't have a lick of self control shouldn't be probing around in other people's heads."

"This isn't funny!" Peter screamed as he clenched his fists and closed his eyes, concentrating as hard as he could on regaining control. "Help me!" he pleaded.

"Sorry, friend, but it doesn't look that this is the best time for your next lesson."

"_What?_"

"That'll have to wait until you stop acting like a frightened child." As Peter just stared at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about, Claude unceremoniously gave him a forceful shove off of the cliff.

Hiro Nakamura

Otsu, Japan, 1671

"Faster!" Master Irmo Sumio commanded. On cue, Yaeko pressed her attack with a speed and ferocity that would've made her moves difficult to follow to the untrained observer. His guard up, Hiro Nakamura was ready for her. When he was a child playing with a plastic sword, he would wave it around wildly while pretending that he was in a fierce duel. Now that he was in the real thing, however, he found himself swinging his blade even faster than he had back then, but now his speed did not take away from his control. He met every one of Yaeko's thrusts with a parry, and even managed to launch a few assaults of his own upon the agile young woman.

"Enough!" Sumio declared. Rising from his ornate chair at the far end of the room, he clapped his hands together. "Well done, Hiro Nakamura. You have come quite far in such a short time."

"Thank you," Hiro responded with a bow. "It is a great honor to hear a mighty warrior such as yourself say those words."

"Tomorrow, the time will be upon us for Takezo Kensei to ride out into the world yet again. You will travel to the village of Nagatiro, where a contingent of Myou Jin's raiders are inflicting great harm upon the villagers with their pillaging. It will be up to you, Hiro, to drive them off."

"Thank you, master," Hiro said, bowing before taking his leave of Sumio. Walking through the temple's labyrinth of passageways, he finally reached the kitchen. Needing a good meal after that workout, he collected a pot and some bags of rice and began to prepare dinner.

"I could use some of that," a soft voice said from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Hiro saw Yaeko sit down at the table.

"I'll make enough for two, then," he told her, grabbing flint and wood and he prepared the fire. "What do you want on your rice?"

Yaeko was silent for a moment. When he finally got the fire lit, she finally said, "Are you seriously going to make me dinner?"

"Of course," Hiro responded. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Most men feel it is beneath them to cook. The last Kensei, he wouldn't ever prepare his own food. He always demanded that I do it. What made it worse was that father made me go along with it."

"Master Sumio is quite wise. I am certain that he had good reasons for whatever he did."

"His reasons were that a woman's place is in the home, not on the battlefield," Yaeko told him, a tinge of anger in her voice. "He only permitted me to fight in the past because Kensei was so incompetent. With you, he's making me stay behind. He doesn't want his legendary warrior being tainted any more by a woman's presence at his side in battle."

"You are a great warrior," Hiro stated. "Your father is most likely just concerned for your safety."

"Of course he is. I'm his best bargaining chip. He sells me as a wife to one of the bigger warlords and he can secure his peace." Yaeko sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be saying these things."

"You are the child of a great man. It is easy to feel oppressed by his shadow. I felt the same way towards my father growing up. Eventually, you will understand why he has done these things."

"I'm sure you're right." She was silent for a moment. "In one matter at least I am in complete agreement with my father. He chose a good man to be his Kensei." Hiro was glad he was facing away from her so she couldn't see him blush.

"You are too kind," he replied before continuing his work on the dinner.

Peter Petrelli and Claude Rains

Location Unknown, Present Day

Peter was lying on the rocks, letting the sun dry him off, when Claude found him again. The Englishman didn't say a word, he just sat down next to him.

"Look, if you really want to stay here and spend the rest of your life in this shithole, I'll leave you here to rot. But if you're willing to stop fighting me – and yourself – then I think we can do something to help you out." Peter looked over at him.

"You really think you can help me fix this?" he asked.

"I knew that pushing you off that cliff would keep you from going nuclear," Claude pointed out. "So I think I've got a pretty good track record so far." Peter was silent for a moment.

"Ok, I guess," he finally said.

"Good," Claude declared, hopping to his feet. "Now, come on. The boat I hired is only going to stay here for another hour or so."

"Wait, what?" Peter asked as he got up as well.

"We are going on a little trip," he explained. "There's an old friend of mine I think you need to see."

**End of Chapter IV**

**A/N: Well, things are starting to come together. Next chapter belongs to Matt, Mohinder, and some original characters I've created. Keep reading, and keep REVIEWING!!!!**


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